Good Governance

Senior Counsel

Jeff serves as Senior Counsel to PEER, where he specializes in civil service, scientific integrity, and whistleblower protection issues. Jeff was PEER’s Executive Director from 1997 to 2019 and its Pacific Director from 2019 to 2025. Previously, he was the Policy Director and a staff attorney at the Government Accountability Project, representing whistleblowers from both the public and private sectors. Before coming to DC, Jeff worked in California state government for 17 years, mostly in the State Legislature as counsel to various committees where he drafted hundreds of laws on topics ranging from energy conservation to the rights of employed inventors. Jeff served stints as a deputy district attorney and an appellate court clerk. He is a graduate of the California Correctional Officers Academy.

Trump and the IGs – From Watchdogs to Lapdogs

by Jeff Ruch | March 25, 2025
The role of the Inspector General requires political independence to function properly. That independence is now irretrievably lost ...

Musk Taking Over NOAA Functions

by PEER | March 5, 2025
NOAA Offices Important to Musk Corporate Interests under DOGE Siege ...

Administration of “Alternative Facts” – No Fact Checkers Welcome

by Jeff Ruch | February 13, 2025
It is often said that everyone is entitled to their own opinion but not to their own set of facts. That cannot be said of Donald Trump ...

NOAA Must Show Musk the Door

by PEER | February 10, 2025
Acting Commerce Secretary Asked to Reveal Extent of Musk-led Data Breach ...

EPA’s Zeldin Must Reveal Musk Ties

by PEER | February 5, 2025
PEER calls on Zeldin to Protect Confidential Data ...

What to Expect from Trump II – A Preview Based on Trump’s First Term

by Peter Jenkins | January 2, 2025
The first Trump administration took rampant “bad government” steps that we must not forget. In recent weeks, President-elect Trump has already raised new threats to good government norms to a level that is unprecedented and frightening ...